The Little Face I Was Born With

{This poem was entered but did not place in the ONLY 2025 POSTED POEMS CONTEST, judged on 1/21/2025}. This entry is for the Second Chance For Non Placement Poetry Contest _____________________________________ The Little Face I Was Born With Christine Munsell, January 2025 This is the little face I was born with And when you meet me you will see My little baby face You may not see it right away, But you will see This little face With, still, the hope I had as a baby That someone will love me I have love To give To others To the universe People have come into my life And I, with each one, Bond And each one will detach Like a shin splint An injury that burns, but I know this feeling I know how it goes And one day, healed, I walk on, I walk, not away But just one step in front of the other As a baby does I am still that baby The one my mother loved (until I matured And then she walked away) Without real relationships with people With Christmas alone, My birthday alone Any illness alone - I still love, I love the animals who look at me With the intensity of a magic spell in child’s play A smile of knowing - there you are, You, my great blue heron - i love you You, my sweet young possum, let me feed you something All of you stray cats in the dry blizzard, I’ve warmed up some nice wet food For all of you. I’ll also set out some warm water for you to drink. Just give me a little eye contact – I’ll talk so sweetly to you.